波旁王朝复辟时，三色旗曾经被废除，而用王室的鸢尾花旗(fleur-de-lis)。然而1830年7月革命后，三色旗再度成为法国的国旗，并延续至今。
法国国旗被法国人称呼为：
le drapeau tricolore
le drapeau bleu-blanc-rouge
le drapeau de la France
有时也叫le tricolore，口头称作les couleurs。
法国国旗也被使用英文的人叫做French tricolor（美式英语），或French tricolour（英式英语）。
卢浮宫 (Palais du Louvre)是法国最大的王宫建筑之一, 位于巴黎市中心塞纳河右畔、巴黎歌剧院广场南侧。原是一座中世纪城堡，１６世纪后经多次改建、扩建，至１８世纪为现存规模。占地约４５公顷。早在１５４６年，法王弗朗索瓦一世决定在原城堡的基础上建造新的王宫，此后经过９位君主不断扩建，历时３００余年，形成一座呈Ｕ字形的宏伟辉煌的宫殿建筑群。１７９３年８月１０日，在推翻君主制的周年纪念日时，法国“国民公会”决定把昔日的皇宫辟为国立美术博物馆；同年１１月１８日，卢浮宫博物馆正式向公众开放。其全部工程于１８５７年完成。在卢浮宫口字形正殿的西侧，伸展出两个侧厅，中间的空地形成卡鲁赛广场。宫的东侧有长列柱廊，建筑巍峨壮丽。其画廊长达９００英尺，藏有大量十七世纪以及欧洲文艺复兴期间许多艺术家的作品。馆藏品达４０万件。卢浮宫美术博物馆分为６大部分：希腊和罗马艺术馆；东方艺术馆；埃及艺术馆；欧洲中世纪、文艺复兴时期和现代雕像馆；历代绘画馆。展览按不同流派、学派和时代划分。一层展出雕刻。二层油画，三层是素描和彩粉画。八十年代初，法国政府实施扩建和修复卢浮宫的“大卢浮宫计划”。
巴黎圣母院(Notre-Dame de Paris)是最著名的中世纪哥特式大教堂，以其规模、年代和在考古、建筑上的价值而著称。巴黎主教莫里斯·德绪利曾设想将两座较早的巴西利卡式（长方形）教堂合成一座大型教堂，１１６３年由教皇亚历山大三世奠基，高圣坛于１１８９年举行奉献仪式，１２４０年唱诗班席、西立面和中堂竣工，门廊、祈祷室和其他装修在其后的一百年中陆续建成。内部平面１３０×４８米，屋顶高３５米，塔高６８米。塔的尖顶始终未建。教堂经过历代的损坏不得不 于１９世纪重修，只有三个巨大的圆花窗仍保持着１３世纪的彩色玻璃。后堂的飞扶垛特别雄健优美。
巴士底狱遗址(Place de la Bastille)位于巴黎市区东部、塞纳河右岸，这里曾是公元１３６９—１３８２年建立的一座军事堡垒。“巴士底”一词的法文原意是“城堡”。这座古城堡拥有８座巍峨坚固的炮台，兴建之初是用来抵抗英国入侵的。１３８０－１４２２年，这座城堡被改为王家监狱。整座城堡占地２６７０平方米，四周建有一堵又高又厚的石墙和８座高３０多米的塔楼，四周掘有宽２４米的深沟，设吊桥进出。早在１６世纪，这里就开始关押囚禁政治犯，法国启蒙思想家伏尔泰就曾两次关押在这里。在法国人民心目中，巴士底狱已成为法国封建专制统治的象征。１７８９年７月３日，巴黎人民奋然起义，１４日，攻占了巴士底狱，揭开了法国大革命的序幕。１７９１年，巴黎人民拆毁了巴士底狱，在其旧址上建成了巴士底广场，并把拆下来的石头铺到塞纳河的协和桥上，供路人践踏。１８３０年，法国人民又在广场中心建立起一座纪念七月革命的烈士碑。这座烈士碑高５２米，碑身是用青铜铸成的圆柱体，人称“７月圆柱”，在柱顶端是一尊右手高举火炬的金翅自由神像，神像左手提着被砸断的锁链象征着获得了自由。在监狱遗址前方立着一块牌子，上写：“大家在这里跳舞吧！”１８８０年６月，法国将７月１４日巴黎人民攻占巴士底狱这一天定为法国国庆日。
乔治·蓬皮杜国家艺术文化中心(Centre National d'art et de Culture Georges Pompidou)坐落在巴黎拉丁区北侧，塞纳河右岸的博堡大街，当地人常也简称为“博堡”。文化中心的外部钢架林立、管道纵横，并且根据不同功能分别漆上红、黄、蓝、绿、白等颜色。因这座现代化的建筑外观极像一座工厂，故又有“炼油厂”和“文化工厂”之称。这座设计新颖、造型特异的现代化建筑是已故总统蓬皮杜于１９６９年决定兴建的，１９７２年正式动工，１９７７年建成，同年２月开馆。整座建筑占地７５００平方米，建筑面积共１０万平方米，地上６层。整座建筑共分为工业创造中心、大众知识图书馆、现代艺术馆以及音乐音响谐调与研究中心四大部分。
巴黎协和广场(Place de la Concorde in Paris)位于巴黎市中心、塞纳河北岸，是法国最著名广场和世界上最美丽的广场之一。广场始建于１７５７年，是根据著名建筑师卡布里埃尔的设计而建造的。因广场中心曾塑有路易十五骑像，１７６３年曾命名“路易十五广场”。大革命时期又被改名为“革命广场”。１７９５年又将其改称为“协和广场”，后经名建筑师希托弗主持整修，最终于１８４０年形成了现在的规模。广场中央矗立着一尊２３米高、有３４００多年历史的埃及方尖碑，这是路易－菲利普于１８３１年从埃及卢克索移来的著名文物，碑身的古文字记载着拉美西斯二世法老的事迹。石碑两侧各有一座喷水池。池中精致的雕刻也是希托弗的作品。广场四周放置了８座雕像，分别象征着８座在法国历史上起过重要作用的城市：里昂、马赛、波尔多、南特、鲁昂、布勒斯特、里尔和斯特拉斯堡。１７９３年大革命时期，巴黎人民奋起捣毁了路易十五的铜像，并将路易十六送上了断头台。
香榭丽舍大街 (Ave des Champs-Elysees)东起协和广场西至星形广场，全长约１８００米，街道最宽处约１２０米，是横贯巴黎且最具特色、最繁华的街道之一。在法文中“香榭丽舍”是“田园乐土”的意思。过去，这里曾是一片低洼潮湿的空地。１７世纪路易十四在位时，曾在这里植树造林，使之成为专供宫廷贵族游乐的禁区。后来，图勒里公园的东西轴线向西延伸，在这里建成了近１公里长的林荫道。以后又加扩展。１７０９年才将其命名为香榭丽舍大街。大街以南北走向的隆布万街为界，分成风格迥异的东西两段。幽静的东段体现了田园风光，长约７００米，一排排梧桐苍翠欲滴，街心花园夹在万木丛中时隐时现。东端的星形广场中央有巍峨雄伟、遐迩闻名的凯旋门。大街附近有波旁宫、玛德琳娜大教堂。这里还有图勒里公园、卢浮宫、市府大厦和爱丽舍宫等名胜古迹。西段长１１００多米，西端的协和广场是巴黎的另一个交通要冲。法国的一些重大节日──７月１４日国庆阅兵式、新年联欢都在这条著名的街道上举行。
France (pronounced /fræns/ or /frɑns/, French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced [ʁepyˈblik fʁɑ̃ˈsɛz]), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to Metropolitan France as L’Hexagone (The “Hexagon”) because of the geometric shape of its territory.
France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. Due to its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana) , and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). France is also linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel.
France is a unitary semi-presidential republic. Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. France was the world's foremost power from the latter half of the 17th century until the early 19th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, France built one of the largest colonial empires of the time, stretching across West Africa and Southeast Asia, prominently influencing the cultures and politics of the regions. France is a developed country, with the sixth (nominal GDP) or eighth (PPP) largest economy in the world. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving over 79 million foreign tourists annually (including business visitors, but excluding people staying less than 24 hours in France). France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council; it is also an acknowledged nuclear power.
The name “France” comes from Latin Francia, which literally means “land of the Franks” or “Frankland”. There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks. One is that it is derived from the Proto-Germanic word frankon which translates as javelin or lance as the throwing axe of the Franks was known as a francisca.
Another proposed etymology is that in an ancient Germanic language, Frank means free as opposed to slave. This word still exists in French as franc, it is also used as the translation of “Frank” and to name the local money, until the use of the euro in the 2000s.
However, rather than the ethnic name of the Franks coming from the word frank, it is also possible that the word is derived from the ethnic name of the Franks, the connection being that only the Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen. In German, France is still called Frankreich, which literally means “Realm of the Franks”. In order to distinguish from the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, Modern France is called Frankreich, while the Frankish Realm is called Frankenreich.
The word “Frank” had been loosely used from the fall of Rome to the Middle Ages, yet from Hugh Capet's coronation as “King of the Franks” (“Rex Francorum”) it became used to strictly refer to the Kingdom of Francia, which would become France. The Capetian Kings were descended from the Robertines, who had produced two Frankish kings, and previously held the title of “Duke of the Franks” (“dux Francorum”). This Frankish duchy encompassed most of modern northern France but because the royal power was sapped by regional princes the term was then applied to the royal demesne as shorthand. It was finally the name adopted for the entire Kingdom as central power was affirmed over the entire kingdom.
